RTI, what?

   I was shown where the forms were..then...nothing.  I had to go to the local university library to get a couple ooks on RTI to figure out what to do.  There was no training, discussion or professional development in the use, effectivness or benefit to RTI.  

I agree with you that this can be a confusing concept, but I'd also be that you already do a lot of things that are recommended in RTI.  When I think about it, I think part of the power of an RTI framework is the focus on quality core instruction (Tier 1).  This allows us to monitor progress and determine which students need supplemental or intensive interventions.  Hopefully, this will allow teachers and schools to focus on students with specific needs.  I think that there are still a lot of things to learn about effective RTI implementation, but that we can begin to organize our systems into procedures that allocate unequal resources for unequal needs.

I agree with both Nancy and Doug, and would only  add that a primary component of RTI, which coincidentally is centered primarily around reading, math and behavior interventions, requires instructional leaders to examine  the effectiveness of current universal screenings  and interventions to determine the  usefulness of the tool.  If it is found ineffective, then a team of teachers, whom Margaret Searle calls the expert pool,   research more effective methods to meet students where they are and provide the necessary support to close learning and/or behavior gaps.  Margaret Searle has a couple of books  outlining the RTI approach and provides expertise in the ASCD DVD titled "Implementing RTI in Secondary Schools".  Carol Tomilson and Tanya Santangelo have a PD QuickKit out on RtI and DI which highlights the similarities and difference in both models.  Hope this helps! -sherida

We have been implementing RTI in our district for quite a few years.  We are very strong at the elementary levels (k-4) and good at the middle levels (5-8) but are still developing at the secondary levels (9-12).  A great resource for you to look at would be Interventioncentral.com  Jim Write is the main author of that source and he is a Psychologist from SUNY Oswego.  He and Jim McDougal have been working on RTI in the Central New York area for many years.  There are MANY other websites and resources where you can go to for other CBMs but I recommend that you start out there.

Jennifer,

Congratulations on the success your school has achieved in increasing student achievement in the area of algebra. Considering the ways in which your school's current focus on increasing achievement in algebra might align with Response to Intervention (RTI) seems to be a very appropriate next step. RTI is frequently described as a process or a framework with different components designed to address the academic and behavioral needs of students.  These components usually include universal screening, a continuum of interventions also referred to as tiered interventions, and progress monitoring.  As a framework, schools sometimes begin with a focus on selected components and create different timelines toward their goal of implementing RTI.  For example, schools may elect to screen rising ninth graders in the area of reading; they may subsequently, create a reading class in which selected students would enroll as an elective.  They might also decide to systematically monitor school attendance and develop strategies for improving attendance and participation for targeted students as a way to help facilitate increased achievement.   

It can be particularly helpful for schools to implement an RTI Planning Team to help develop procedures such as scheduling students to receive interventions and determining when sufficient progress has occurred such that the intervention is no longer required.  In forming an RTI Planning Team, it  may be helpful for school leaders to consider such factors as those areas of the curriculum that are a priority for developing interventions and the use of existing teams.  For example, if teachers are already meeting to focus on algebra, the agenda topics might be expanded to focus on such logistics as scheduling.  Formalizing an RTI Planning Team can help to facilitate systematic and consistent approaches in such key areas as scheduling and reviewing student progress.  Another action that the RTI Planning Team might undertake is to recommend strategies for examining the effectiveness of the core instructional program; this is particularly helpful if the number of students requiring interventions seems high relative to overall student enrollment. 

ASCD has published two books on RTI that you might find helpful:  What Every School Leader Needs to Know about RTI and Enhancing RTI:  How to Ensure Success with Effective Classroom Instruction and Intervention. You may also want to watch for an upcoming ASCD publication that I have coauthored with Cynthia Warger titled Building Your School's Capacity to Implement RTI; we expect it to be available by February. 

Patricia Addison, Ed.D.

RTI- I am amazed at the views on this subject but very few replies.  RTI is all about understanding how to reach all students both academically and behaviorally- Tier 3 are the extreme cases.

We will not have ISS (in school suspension) - I say yipee! Although, what now? For the students who dislike or who are allergic to a subject, the teacher, the classroom, the students in the classroom, or just are having a bad day - what alternative setting, or "go to" person will we have? 

Teams should collaborate frequently on students they serve. What works best for that student? Can Inclusion teachers provide a safety net for students both academically and emotionally? Absolutely!

RTI is our plan on the "How, the what, the where, and the when" we will help students achieve in an educational setting.

Lets get on the RTI Speed Train!